Buffing-machine.



S. W. LADD.

BUFFING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 16,1891.

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" .UNITED STAT-Es PATENT oEEIoE;

SHERMAN w. LADD, or BEVERLY, MAssAcHusE'r'rs, AssieNoR To SIDNEY w. wINsLoW,

TRUSTEE, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS.

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-Speeiicstion nl Letteri Patent.

' i Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

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To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SHERMAN W. LADD, of Beverly, county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have inventedan Improvement in BuIing-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with ,the accompanying drawings, is' a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a machine for bufiing thel soles of. boots and shoes, and is intended as an improvement on machines of that class as shown in patent to Winslow and Filield No. 221647, Nov. 11, 1879; and' patent to Webster No. 490,419, Jan. 24,

The machine forming the subject of the present invention is intended to operate a spindle having connected therewith a foot provided with a clamp to hold a flexible j hollow expansive pad provided with an abrasivecover in the form of a disk which is 'rotated rapidly by said spindle, the flexible pad constituting a' yielding cushion to support the abrasive material againstr the pressure of the boot or shoe sole presented to it to be bulied. The pad is hollow and is clamped to the foot in such manner as to aiiord a substantially air/tight joint or connection between the wall of the pad and the foot of the spindle, whichlatter is hollow or bored longitudinally so as to afford an air. passage through it. Thespindle'runs in suitable bearings in a bracket connected with the arm or overhanging frame ofthe machine, and said bracket is Vconstructed to afford a substantially air tight passage from the frame of the machine to the hollow spindle.

The construction of the spindle with reference to the expansive pad and abrasive cover is not herein claimed, same forming the subject of my Patent No. 7 21,052 dated Februarv 17, 1903.

The spindle and pad are herein shown and described to facilitate an understand- 4ing of the present invention, which relates mainly to the means for supplying air by which the expansive pad is inflated when..

the machine is in operation.

The machine is provided with an air pump which serves to compress air while the machine is running, and there are inten mediate chambers or reservoirs on the arm of the machine between said air pump and the bearing bracket for buing spindle,

cover. `arm A there is supported in suitable bear- 'passage f-(se'e Vjber or reservoir which reservoirs receive air under the desired pressurefrom the pump, and supply air under pressure through the passages of the bearing bracket and lspindle to the interior of the pad, thereby keeping the same distended and producing a very effective yielding cushion `for the abrasive material.

Figure 41 is a side elevation of 'the' head portion of the buflin'g machine embodying this invention; Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical section of a portion thereof; Fig. 3 a

longitudinal section on dotted line m3 of Fig. 2 showing the air pump proper on en V l a transverse section thereof on line a," of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 an larged scale; Fig. 4

enlarged longitudinal section of the lower part of the spindle and parts directly connected therewith.

The head portion of the machine is in the form of a horizontal arm A adapted' to be secured to a suitable column or support, the Y upper end of which is shown at B in Fig. 1.

At therear end of said arm there is a conntershaft a having belt pulleys a2 for the belt which drives the pulley c on the spindle c2 that carries the buffing pad and its abrasive Towards the rear end of the said ings a shaft d provided with a driving pulley Z2 and a crank d3 connected with a pitma-n d* which is connected with the piston .rod c of the air pump C (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3). The saidv plston'rod e is steadied by a guide A2 upon the arm which is provided with or constructed to constitute a slotted hood or cover A3 for the crank, pitman,l and piston rod, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The slot in said arm is for the purpose of ail'ording access to` the joints and bearings of the pitman and piston rod, and is provided Fig. 1, and adapted to be held closed when the machine is in use by a' fastening or button A.

The air pump C' is contained within a chamber D at the forward end of the arm 2)l with a second charm# Af on the main casting of .the arm -with which latterfthe cylinder of the air pump C is made inte ral as best shownin Fig 3. The end of t 'e air pump cylinder adjacent `said chambers D and E- e being herein shown 'as made in a single cast# ing, and connected by bolts F with a flange l 4with a hinged cover A30 shown as open in A, said chamberV communicating .by asmall' to the flange A4 is closed by an integral portion of the casting except for the packed passage through which the iston rod e works, and the other end of sald cylinder is provided with a removable head or bonnet, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, through which the piston e2 may be introduced-in assembling the apparatus.

The air pump C is provided with an inlet passage or suction pipe e3 best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the end of which communicates with the interior of the arm A and column B as shown in Fig. 3, so that a sulicient supply of airis afforded without danger of entrance of dust or chips. The said passage e3 near the end of the pump C is provided with passages e4 (see Fig. 4) entering the said pump cylinder and controlled by inwardly opening ball valves e5, and said cylinder is also provided at its ends with outlet passages e controlled by outwardly opening ball valves e7, said passages opening into the chamber D surrounding the pump, so that at each stroke of the piston e2 air is taken from the supply passage e3 to the passage e4 into one end of the cylinder and at the same time delivered through the passage c at the other end of the cylinder into the chamber D surrounding the pump and thence Athrough the passage f into the reservoir E. Air is thus compressed into the chamber E, and by reason of the small passage f is caused to flow into the reservoir E with substantial uniformity, so that the pressure in the reservoir E is but slightly affected by the pulsations due to the strokes of the piston e2. Said chamber E is provided with a relief valve E2 which may be regulated to maintain any desired pressure, and to permit the air to escape from the reservoir when such pressure is exceeded.

The reservoir E is provided at one end with an outlet passage E3 constructed to form a clamping socket for a cylindrical arm G secured in the bearing bracket H for the spindle 02 which carries the butling pad proper. The socket E3 at the end of the chamber is split and provided with a clamping bolt E4 as shown in Figs.' l and 2 so that the cylindrical arm G may be locked in any suitable position but may be turned in the socket when required in order to vary the angle of the bracket H and bufling spindle to suit the requirements of the workman, said bracket being used in approximately vertical position, although it is capable of being turned to any desired angle, by the construction just described.

The bracket H is provided with bearings H2 for the spindle 02, said bearings being in the form of long bushings fastened to said bracket which is provided at -its upper end with a socketed cap H3 into which the upper end of the spindle c2 extends, said cap being provided with a stufling box or packingas shown at H4 to afford a tight connectin between the spindle and the interiory `of said cap H3 which is provided with a pasi sage H5 communicating with a passage inl the cylindrical arm G, and thus with the terior of the reservoir E from which air is thus delivered through said passages/'into the longitudinal passage through the spindle c2 and to the'hollow flexible pad h secured to the `lower end thereof.

The driving pulley e for the spindle is made as a part ot' a sleeve c3 which surrounds the said spindle between the bearings H2 and is recessed at its ends to engage with said bearings and thereby secure the spindle against endwise movement, and at the same time protect the bearing surfaces from the entrance of dust. The upper bearing H2 is provided with a lubricating reservoir H2" containing fibrous material which may be saturated with oil. Below the lower bearing H2 the spindle c2 is provided with a flange z' see Fig. 5 engaging with a corresponding flange in a threaded clamping nut adapted to engage with the upper end of a threaded sleeve 2* provided at its lower end. with a wide flange 5 surmounted by a. narrower flange i with an intervening groove or channel, said flanges serving to receive between them lthe upper wall h2 of the flexible pad z.

The clamping plate 7 is adapted to fit loosely vupon the threaded sleeve 4 and is recessed at its lower part to receive the upper flange i, vwhile the periphery of said clamping disk T bears upon the edge of the upper wall if of the flexible pad and clamps the same securely between said clamping plate and the lower flange i, on the threaded sleeve. Said clamping plate l is forced down, to thus clamp the llexible pad, by a nut z'f operating upon the screw thread of the sleeve. Thus the hollow flexible pad which is commonly made of molded indiay rubber may be fastened air ight upon the end of the threaded sleeve, which latter is secured to the hollow spindle ci b v the nut zf" engaging with the upper end of the thread of said sleeve, which is provided with'a longitudinal notch engaging with a pin c4 on the hollow spindle to prevent axial displacement of the former on the latter.

The pad t h2 is provided with a small central perforation to admit of escape of air, so that the air is not strict-ly speaking confined therein, but flows slowly therethrough, maintaining a pressure above the atmospheric pressure, and thus distending the pad but not putting it under severe expansive strain.

Any suitable abrasive pad cover may be used, but the pad covers are preferably molded and provided with an inturned flange constructed to form a series of tongues which are inserted between the i clamping disk z" and the upper wall h2 -of the pad, so that said clamping disk serves both to clamp the abrasive cover` on thev pad, and to afford an air tightjunction between the latter and the sleeve which-'is'l-secured to the end of the driving spindle.

The guide A2 for the piston rod ismade' in the form of a block having a bore, to receive the piston rod, and a cylindrical outer surface, thel axis of which surface is at right angles to that of the piston rod, said block being contained' in a socket or bearing formed in thek main casting'A' of the arm. This construction enables the guide A to be accurately fitted to the piston rod,l

which would bediicult'on account of location, if the said bearings wereformed in the material of the casting itself. Claims.

1. A buing machine having a tubular spindle; an inflatable buing pad carried by t e spindle; and means for producing a substantially constantfpressure of air'in' the pad, comprising an air compreo, ajchamber to receive the compressed air, ares'ervoir comniunicating with the pad, a restricted orifice connecting thev chamber to "the reservoir and proportioned to retard the transmission'of the com ressed air from the receiving chamber to t e reservoir.

2. A buiiinr machine having a tubular spindle; an inflatable buing pad carriedby t e spindle; and means for maintaining a constant pressure of air in the padV-comrising a pump, an air supply ductm therefor eading from a point remote froml the buil'- ing pad, -a chamber into .which the pump dischar es air, a reservoirof largecapacity,

"air supply duct extending from the.

. a pump cylinder projected -a piston, and actuating mechanism therefor the compressor with the chamber, a conduit ,-of small diameter connecting the chamber and reservoir, and a passage between the reservoir and the pad. y

4. .A buing machine having a sup orting frame; a tubular spindle journaled t ereon;

an inflatable bui'ng pad carried by the spind1e; and means for maintaining air pressure in the' pad, comprising a pump cylinder mounted in the frame, a piston, piston actuating mechanism inclosed' in the frame, an l interior ofthe frame to the pump cylinder, a valve between the duct and the cylinder, and a passageway leading from the pump cylinder tothe pad spindle.

5. A buin machine having a frame; a

tubular spin e; an inflatable buiiing p ad f ca rried by the spindle; and means for maintaining air pressure in the plad, comprising om the frame,

inclosed by the frame, a casting comprising a chamber D, and a reservoir E communicating with each other through the relatively small passage f, said casting being arranged with the chamber D inclosing the pump cylinder, and a connection between 4the reservoir and the spindle.

V.6. A builing machine having a frame or arm, a spindle carryingan inflatable'buin pad at` one end of the arm, a driving sha at the other end thereof, Aa driving connec tion between tliespindle and shaft, air compressing mechanism supported on said arm,

a drivi 0' connection between the compressor and sai shaft, an air chamber supported on the'arm in relation to receive air from thev compressor, a resin-voir communicating with the chamber through a restricted orifice, and means for conducting air from the reservoir to the spindle. y

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing. witnesses SHERMAN W. LADD.

Witnesses:

Gnomi: E. Fnoe'r, FRANK A. WEBB. 

